Providing time-sensitive information for purchase determinations

ABSTRACT

A method, system, and medium are provided that are directed to providing a user with time-sensitive information that is usable to determine when to purchase a product. In accordance with embodiments of the technology, exemplary steps include using historical product information to generate time-sensitive information. Moreover, in response to receiving from a user a request to receive information describing a given product, time-sensitive information is caused to be presented. For example, time-sensitive information might be usable by the user to determine when to purchase the given product and an alternative product.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.12/463,831, which was filed on May 11, 2009, and is incorporated hereinby reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

A consumer often uses a search engine to retrieve information about aproduct that he or she is considering purchasing. For example, theconsumer might submit a search query and expect to receive informationthat describes a product's specifications and purchase price. Whileinformation describing specifications and prices can be helpful to aconsumer, additional types of information would better assist theconsumer to make a more informed choice about whether to make apurchase.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the invention are defined by the claims below, not thisSummary. A high-level overview of various aspects of the invention areprovided here for that reason, to provide an overview of the disclosure,and to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described inthe Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify keyfeatures or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is itintended to be used as an aid in isolation to determine the scope of theclaimed subject matter.

One embodiment of the present invention is directed to acomputer-implemented method of providing a user with time-sensitiveinformation that is usable to determine when to purchase a product.Time-sensitive information includes information that is predicted usinghistorical product information that describes the product. Thetime-sensitive information is caused to be presented to the user inresponse to a request, e.g., product search query, from the user toreceive information that describes the product. Time-sensitiveinformation might describe the product for which the user searched, inaddition to, products that are usable as alternatives to thesearched-for product.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are described indetail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an illustrative operating environmentsuitable for providing a user with time-sensitive information, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram illustrating certain components of anillustrative computing device suitable for practicing an embodiment ofthe present invention; and

FIGS. 3-6 each depict a flow diagram showing an illustrative method ofproviding a user with time-sensitive information, in accordance withvarious embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject matter of embodiments of the present invention is describedwith specificity herein to meet statutory requirements. But thedescription itself is not intended to necessarily limit the scope ofclaims. Rather, the claimed subject matter might be embodied in otherways to include different steps or combinations of steps similar to theones described in this document, in conjunction with other present orfuture technologies. Terms should not be interpreted as implying anyparticular order among or between various steps herein disclosed unlessand except when the order of individual steps is explicitly stated.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to providing a userwith time-sensitive information that is usable to determine when topurchase a product. With initial reference to FIG. 1, an illustrativeoperating environment suitable for practicing an embodiment of thepresent invention is provided and referenced generally by referencenumeral 110. The operating environment 110 includes various components,which communicate by way of network 112. Components include a userdevice 114, a search engine 116, a product datastore 118, and atime-sensitive-information provider 120.

One or more of components 114, 116, 118, and 120 include a computingdevice. Each of components 114, 116, 118, and 120 might include anindependent computing device, which is separate from other componentsdepicted in FIG. 1. Alternatively, one or more of components 114, 116,118, and 120 might be combined in a single computing device. Forexample, search engine 116, product datastore 118, andtime-sensitive-information provider 120 might include a single computingdevice.

In FIG. 2, a diagrammatic block diagram of an exemplary computing device210 is provided, in which device 210 might take the form of aconventional computer as well as a consumer electronics device, such asan Internet-connected watch, mobile phone, and the like. The computingdevice 210 might take on a variety of forms, including, for example, acomputing device such as a gaming console, a client computer, a servercomputer, variations thereof such as laptop computers and palm-topcomputers, and in some embodiments devices such as PDAs and smartphones. As shown in FIG. 2, a bus 211 couples one or more memorycomponents 212 to one or more processors 214, various presentationcomponents 216, input/output ports 218, input/output components 220, andat least one power supply 222. Other devices including lower-levelaspects of the shown devices are not shown so as to not obscure adescription of the technology.

Memory components 212 include things such as a hard drive, volatilememory (such as RAM), buffers, and the like. The one or more processors214 control overall data communications throughout the computing device210. Illustrative presentation components 216 include a video card aswell as a monitor, a speaker, a vibrating component, or otherpresentation device. Input/output ports 218 provide connectivity toperipheral components such as printers, digital cameras, and the like.Actual input/output (I/O) components 220 may be things like amicrophone, joystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner, printer,wireless device, and the like. A power supply 222 provides power to runthe computing device 210. Not all of the components shown in FIG. 2 needto be present in order to make up a computing device but are shown forillustrative purposes in connection with describing one or moreembodiments of the invention.

Although the various blocks of FIG. 2 are shown with lines for the sakeof clarity, in reality, delineating various components is not so clearand, metaphorically, the lines would more accurately be gray and fuzzy.For example, one may consider a presentation component such as a displaydevice to be an I/O component 220. Also, processors have memory. Theinventors hereof recognize that such is the nature of the art andreiterate that the diagram of FIG. 2 is merely illustrative of anexemplary computing device that can be used in connection with one ormore embodiments of the present invention.

Computing device 210 typically includes a variety of computer-readablemedia. Computer-readable media can be any available media that can beaccessed by computing device 210 and includes both volatile andnonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. By way of example,and not limitation, computer-readable media may comprise computerstorage media and communication media.

Computer storage media includes volatile and nonvolatile,non-transitory, removable and non-removable media, implemented in anymethod or technology for storage of information such ascomputer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules orother data. Computer storage media includes RAM; ROM; EEPROM; flashmemory or other memory technology; CD-ROM; digital versatile disks (DVD)or other optical disk storage; magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, andmagnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, each of whichcan be used to store the desired information and which can be accessedby computing device 210.

Communication media typically embodies computer-readable instructions,data structures, program modules or other data in a modulated datasignal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includesany information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means asignal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed insuch a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example,communication media includes wired media, such as a wired network ordirect-wired connection, and wireless media, such as acoustic, RF,infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the aboveshould also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

Embodiments of the invention may be described in the general context ofcomputer code or machine-useable instructions, includingcomputer-executable instructions such as program modules, being executedby a computer or other machine, such as a personal data assistant orother handheld device. Generally, program modules including routines,programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., refer to code thatperforms particular tasks or implements particular abstract data types.Embodiments of the invention may be practiced in a variety of systemconfigurations, including handheld devices, consumer electronics,general-purpose computers, more specialty computing devices, and thelike. Embodiments of the invention may also be practiced in distributedcomputing environments where tasks are performed by remote-processingdevices that are linked through a communications network.

One exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes acomputer-implemented method of providing a user with time-sensitiveinformation that is usable to determine when to purchase a givenproduct, the method implemented with one or more of a processor and atleast one computer-readable medium. The computer-implemented methodcomprises referencing historical product information that describes thegiven product and that is usable to predict the time-sensitiveinformation; based on the historical product information, generatingtime-sensitive information, which includes one or more of: a projecteddiscontinuation time frame that describes a first predicted future dateon which the given product will no longer be available to be purchasedand a projected release time frame that describes a second predictedfuture date on which a new product that is usable to replace the givenproduct will become available to be purchased; modifying a datastructure in a datastore to include the time-sensitive information; andcausing the time-sensitive information to be presented to the user inresponse to a request from the user to receive information thatdescribes the given product.

Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes one ormore computer-readable media having computer-executable instructionsembodied thereon, that when executed, cause a computing device toperform a method of providing a user with time-sensitive informationthat is usable to determine when to purchase a product. The methodcomprises receiving from the user a request to receive informationdescribing one or more products, wherein the request includes specifiedproduct parameters that are usable to identify features of the one ormore products; identifying a first subset of the one or more productsthat satisfies the specified product parameters, wherein the firstsubset of the one or more products satisfies the specified productparameters at a time at which the request is received; retrievingtime-sensitive information that is usable to determine when to purchasea second subset of the one or more products; based on the time-sensitiveinformation, identifying from the second subset of the one or moreproducts an alternative product that is usable as an alternative to aproduct of the first set of the one or more products and that isdescribed by alternative product parameters, which are predicted toundergo a change on a future date, wherein due to the change thealternative product parameters will satisfy on the future date thespecified product parameters; and causing information describing thealternative product to be presented to the user.

A further exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes one ormore computer-readable media having computer-executable instructionsembodied thereon, that when executed, cause a computing device toperform a method of providing a user with time-sensitive informationthat is usable to determine whether to purchase a given product. Themethod comprises receiving from the user a request to receiveinformation describing one or more products, wherein the requestincludes a specified purchase price; identifying a product that isavailable to be purchased, wherein the product is available to bepurchased both at a time at which the request is received and inexchange for an amount that is not greater than the specified purchaseprice; retrieving a first set of time-sensitive information, whichincludes one or more of: a projected discontinuation time frame thatdescribes a first predicted future date on which the product will nolonger be available to be purchased, and a projected release time framethat describes a second predicted future date on which a new productthat is usable to replace the product will be available to be purchased;referencing a second set of time-sensitive information that describespredicted information relating to an alternative product, which is bothusable as an alternative to the product and available to be purchased atthe time the request is received for an amount that is greater than thespecified purchase price; based on the second set of time-sensitiveinformation, determining that the alternative product will be availableto be purchased on a third predicted future date in exchange for anamount that is not greater than the specified purchase price; andcausing information describing the product to be presented to the usertogether with information describing the alternative product.

Having briefly described an overview of embodiments of the presentinvention, an exemplary operating environment in which various aspectsof the present invention may be implemented is now described. Returningnow to FIG. 1, an illustrative operating environment 110 is shown. Theuser device 114, the product datastore 118, the search engine 116, andthe time-sensitive-information provider 120 communicate by way of thenetwork 112. In exemplary aspects, the user device 114 submits a searchquery, which requests to receive information describing products, e.g.,consumer products, to the search engine 116. A search query might bereceived in various forms. For example, a search query might include aset of terms that are input by the user 114 into a browser, whichfunctions to submit the search query to the search engine 116.Alternatively, a search query might include an input of an electronicimage of one or more products. For example, a user might use an inputdevice, e.g., mouse, to select on a display an electronic image of aproduct, thereby submitting the product as the subject of a searchquery. A search query can also include various information and/orrequests. For example, a query can request information about a specificproduct, e.g., ACME LCD 5000. Alternatively, a query can requestinformation about products that have specified parameters, e.g.,purchase price, specifications, capabilities, brand, etc.

Upon receiving a search query, the search engine 116 accesses theproduct datastore 118 to generate a list of products and informationthat satisfy the search query. For example, the user device 114 mightsubmit a request to receive information describing an ACME LCD 5000 ordescribing consumer products that meet specified parameters. The userdevice 114 might expect to receive in return a list of products thatsatisfy the query, in addition to, predetermined static information,such as current purchase price, specifications, capabilities, andlocations at which the products can be purchased. These types ofinformation are referred to as “static” because the informationdescribes an actual state of a product at a present time and ispredetermined by a party, e.g., manufacturer or retailer; however,static does not mean the information cannot change. For example, staticinformation, e.g., current purchase price, can change if a party, e.g.,retailer, actively changes the static information.

However, in addition to predetermined static information, other types ofinformation can also be useful to a user searching for a product, suchas when the user device 114 is trying to decide whether to purchase aproduct. For example, the user device 114 might want to know if and whena product will be discontinued; when a new model that is usable toreplace a current model will be released; what are present alternativesto a product given a fixed budget; what will be future alternativesbased on a fixed budget; and when and whether a product's purchase priceis likely to increase or decrease. Accordingly, aspects of the presentinvention include providing dynamic time-sensitive information that isusable to determine when to purchase a product. Briefly, “time-sensitiveinformation” describes information that is projected by applying aforecast model to a set of historical product information and that isusable to determine when to purchase a product, as more fully describedbelow.

“Historical product information,” which is usable to predicttime-sensitive information, refers to information that describes aproduct at an instant in time, e.g., specific date or time frame, whichhas already passed. In addition to describing a specific instant intime, e.g., past date, historical product information can describetrends from one instant in time to another instant in time. Inembodiments of the present invention, historical product informationdescribes fluctuations in a purchase price of a product, such as pasttrends in price increases or decreases. Historical product informationalso includes past time spans during which a product was available to bepurchased. For example, historical product information might describethat a product was available to be purchased between Jan. 1, 2005, andJan. 1, 1006, or that a product was available to be purchased during aperiod of 12 months. Historical product information can describe pastinstants in time when a product was retired or discontinued, i.e., nolonger available to be purchased, as well as past instants in time whena new product, which is usable to replace a product, became available tobe purchased. Historical product information also describessale-transaction statistics, such as sale-transactions completed in aspecified time frame in which a certain product was purchased. Moreover,historical product information can include comparisons between a productand alternative and/or competing products, e.g., a comparison betweensale-transaction statistics of one product and sale-transactionstatistics of a competing product.

FIG. 1 depicts a historical product-information datastore 122, whichincludes data 124. An expanded window 126 of the data 124 is includedfor illustrative purposes; however, the data 124 can include additionalinformation as well. The expanded window 126 depicts various categoriesof historical product information that are stored with respect to aproduct identified as “ACME LCD 5000” 128. In embodiments of the presentinvention, the historical product-information datastore 122 storesinformation that describes products that are included in the productdatastore 118. Illustrative examples of historical product informationinclude price-modification trends 130, model retirement/introductiontrends 132, competing-product comparisons 134, and sales statistics 136.Although the competing-product comparisons 134 are depicted as part of agroup of information that is related to ACME LCD 5000, thecompeting-product comparisons 134 might also be stored separately orotherwise mapped to information stored in relation to ACME LCD 5000. Inembodiments of the present invention, historical product information130, 132, 134, and 136 is tracked and updated.

As previously indicated, time-sensitive information can be projectedusing historical product information 130, 132, 134, and 136. Inembodiments of the present invention, because time-sensitive informationis predicted using historical product information 130, 132, 134, and136, time-sensitive information changes from a present instant in timeto a subsequent instant in time consistent with changes in historicalproduct information 130, 132, 134, and 136, i.e., as time progresses,information that exists at a present instant in time quickly becomeshistorical information as time passes to a next instant in time.Time-sensitive information might be used for a variety of purposes. Inembodiments of the present invention, time-sensitive informationprovides an indication as to when a particular product will bediscontinued or retired, when a new product will be released into themarket, and when and how a purchase price for a product is expected tochange. Moreover, time-sensitive information can provide an indicationas to when other products will experience purchase price declines, whichmight bring the other products under a fixed budget.

FIG. 1 depicts a projector 138, which is usable to forecasttime-sensitive information based on historical product information 130,132, 134, and 136. In embodiments of the present invention, theprojector 138 applies various prediction models and/or algorithms tohistorical product information 130, 132, 134, and 136 to forecasttime-sensitive information. For example, the projector 138 might apply asimple moving average, an exponential moving average, a random walk, anda price regression. In other aspects, the projector 138 might usesale-transaction statistics to determine if a new model is likely to bereleased. For example, if sale-transaction statistics indicate that thenumber of purchases of a given product within a time duration hasleveled or declined, i.e., that a market is saturated with the givenproduct and that sales are not likely to improve, the projector 138might predict that the given product is likely to be discontinued and/orthat a new model is likely to be released. In another example, acomparison of sales statistics between products might enable forecaststo be made as to which product will be retired at an earlier instant intime. Time-sensitive information that is generated by the projector 138is stored in a projection datastore 140.

The projection datastore 140 includes data 142, which is shown in anexpanded window 144 for illustrative purposes. The expanded window 144depicts a product labeled “ACME LCD 5000” 146, as well as, exemplarycategories of time-sensitive information. Exemplary categories oftime-sensitive information include projected model discontinuation 148,projected price changes 150, projected model release 152, andalternative-product projections 154. The projected model discontinuation148 describes a predicted future instant in time in which it ispredicted that the ACME LCD 5000 146 will no longer be available to bepurchased. The projected price changes 150 describe a purchase price ofthe ACME LCD 5000 146 and how that purchase price is predicted to changeover a given time frame or on a given date. The projected model release152 describes a predicted future time duration in which it is predictedthat a new model, which is usable to replace the ACME LCD 5000 146, willbecome available to be purchased. The alternative-product projections154 include predicted information, e.g., discontinuation dates,new-model release dates, price changes, etc., that describes productsthat are usable as an alternative to the ACME LCD 5000 146. For example,an alternative product might be a product that competes against the ACMELCD 5000 146 to acquire market share. The alternative-productprojections 154 are shown for illustrative purposes as part of the data142; however, the alternative-product projections 154 might also bestored separately or otherwise mapped to information stored in relationto ACME LCD 5000 146. These examples of time-sensitive information 148,150, 152, and 154 are provided for illustrative purposes; however,time-sensitive information can include a variety of other categories ofinformation, which can be projected using historical productinformation. In embodiments of the present invention, as historicalproduct information 130, 132, 134, and 136 is updated, so is the data142. For example, upon tracking a change in historical productinformation 130, 132, 134, and 136, the projector 138 generates updatedtime-sensitive information 148, 150, 152, and 154, which is used toupdate a data structure in the projection datastore 140.

In embodiments of the present invention, time-sensitive information 148,150, 152, and 154 is provided to describe a nonperishable product. Anonperishable product does not expire or become unusable at apredetermined future date. As such, the ability to forecasttime-sensitive information is not dependent on a known predeterminedfuture date. This is in contrast to a perishable product (e.g. food,dated travel tickets, dated hotel rooms, dated rental cars, etc.), whichdoes expire or become unusable. Information, e.g., future price,describing a perishable product is predictable based on the expectedexpiration. For example, it can be assumed that a purchase price of aperishable product will decline as an expiration date approaches.Accordingly, some embodiments of the present invention are directed toproviding time-sensitive information that describes non-perishableproducts, such as by applying a model and/or algorithm to historicalproduct information, i.e., predicted product information is notgenerated by simply making an estimation based only on a predeterminedexpiration date.

In embodiments of the present invention, time-sensitive information 130,132, 134, and 136, or a derivative thereof, is provided to a user and isusable to determine whether and/or when to purchase a product. Referringnow to FIG. 3, an exemplary interaction between components of FIG. 1 isdepicted. At step 310, the time-sensitive-information provider 120collects historical product information, e.g., the data 124 of FIG. 1.Step 314 includes generating time-sensitive information, e.g., the data142 is generated by the projector 138 using the data 124. At step 316 aproduct search query 318 is communicated together with specifiedparameters 320 from the user device 114 to the search engine 116. Atstep 322, the search engine 116 generates product search results 324,which lists products (“identified products”) that meet specifiedparameters 320. Step 326 includes communicating product search results324 to the time-sensitive-information provider 120.

Upon receiving the list 324 describing identified products, thetime-sensitive-information provider 120 retrieves at step 328time-sensitive information that describes the identified products, i.e.,“searched-for products.” For example, the time-sensitive-informationprovider 120 might retrieve a projected discontinuation time frame,projected price changes, and new-product projected release dates. Inaddition, the time-sensitive-information provider 120 retrievestime-sensitive information that describes alternative products, whichare usable as alternatives to the identified products. In oneembodiment, alternative-product projections are stored in connectionwith identified products, such that alternative-product projections,e.g., 154 of FIG. 1, can be referenced upon receipt of the list 324.While alternative products might be identified in the list 324 (productsthat meet specified parameters), in some embodiments, due to specifiedparameters 320, alternative products are excluded from the list 324. Forexample, a product that is usable as an alternative to a searched-forproduct might have different parameters, e.g., purchase price and highercapabilities, which cause the alternative product to be excluded fromthe list 324. However, time-sensitive information describing thealternative product is still usable to determine whether and/or when topurchase the searched-for product(s). For example, time-sensitiveinformation that describes an alternative product might indicate that inthe near future a purchase price of the alternative product will declineor a new model of the alternative product will be released. Bothexamples of time-sensitive information, which describes the alternativeproduct, might be usable to determine whether and/or when to purchase asearched-for product because time-sensitive information describing thealternative product provides information about a user's purchaseoptions.

Step 330 includes providing both time-sensitive information 332describing identified products and time-sensitive information 334describing alternative products to the user device 114. Time-sensitiveinformation 332 and 334 might be presented to the user device 114 invarious ways, such as by using presentation components 216 and/or I/Ocomponents 220 (see FIG. 2). For example, time-sensitive information canbe displayed on a monitor or made audible by using speakers.

In one aspect, embodiments of the present invention include acomputer-implemented method of providing a user with time-sensitiveinformation that is usable to determine when to purchase a givenproduct. Referring now to FIG. 4, one such computer-implemented method,identified generally by numeral 410, is depicted. In one embodiment,method 410 is implemented with one or more of a processor and acomputer-readable medium. Method 410 includes at step 412 referencinghistorical product information that describes the given product and thatis usable to predict the time-sensitive information. For example,price-modification trends, product retirement and release trends, and/orsale-transaction statistics might be referenced. Based on the historicalproduct information, at step 414 time-sensitive information isgenerated, e.g., the projector 138 applies an algorithm and/or model tohistorical product information. Examples of time-sensitive informationinclude: a projected discontinuation time frame that describes a firstpredicted future date on which the given product will no longer beavailable to be purchased; a projected release time frame that describesa second predicted future date on which a new product that is usable toreplace the given product will become available to be purchased; andprojected competing-product information that describes predicted pricingtrends of a competing product, which is usable as an alternative to thegiven product. Step 416 includes modifying a data structure in adatastore to include the time-sensitive information. For example, a datastructure in the projection datastore 140 might be modified. At step 418the time-sensitive information is caused to be presented to the user inresponse to a request from the user to receive information thatdescribes the given product.

In another embodiment, the present invention includes computer-readablemedia having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, thatwhen executed, cause a computing device to perform a method of providinga user with time-sensitive information that is usable to determine whento purchase a product. Referring to FIG. 5, one such method, identifiedgenerally by numeral 510, is depicted in which step 512 includesreceiving from the user a request to receive information describingproducts. In one aspect, the request includes specified productparameters that are usable to identify features of the products.Examples of specified product parameters include a purchase price,product brand name, product capabilities, and product specifications.

At step 514 a first subset of the products is identified that satisfiesthe specified product parameters. In an exemplary embodiment, the firstsubset of products satisfies the specified product parameters at a timeat which the request is received. Step 516 includes retrievingtime-sensitive information that is usable to determine when to purchasea second subset of the products, e.g., products that are usable as analternative to at least one product the first subset of products andthat did not satisfy the specified product parameters at a time at whichthe request is received.

Step 518 includes, based on the time-sensitive information thatdescribes the second subset of the products, identifying an alternativeproduct that is usable as an alternative to the first set of productsand that is described by alternative-product parameters. In oneembodiment, the alternative-product parameters are predicted to undergoa change on a future date and, due to the change, thealternative-product parameters will satisfy the specified productparameters. For example, product capabilities of an alternative productwhen the request from the user is received might be less than specifiedproduct parameters, i.e., the alternative-product capabilities areinadequate; however, time-sensitive information that describes thealternative product might indicate that a new model will be releasedthat includes higher capabilities that satisfy specified productparameters. Step 520 includes causing information describing thealternative product to be presented to the user.

Referring to FIG. 6, another method is described that when embodied oncomputer-readable media as computer-executable instructions, causes acomputing device to provide a user with time-sensitive information thatis usable to determine when to purchase a product. Step 612 includesreceiving from the user a request to receive information describing oneor more products, wherein the request includes a specified purchaseprice. At step 614 a product is identified that is available to bepurchased, wherein the product is available to be purchased both at atime at which the request is received and in exchange for an amount thatis not greater than the specified purchase price. Moreover, step 616includes, retrieving a first set of time-sensitive information.Time-sensitive information can include a projected discontinuation timeframe that describes a first predicted future date on which the productwill no longer be available to be purchased and a projected release timeframe that describes a second predicted future date on which a newproduct that is usable to replace the product will be available to bepurchased. At step 618, a second set of time-sensitive information isreferenced that describes predicted information relating to analternative product, which is both usable as an alternative to theproduct and available to be purchased at the time the request isreceived for an amount that is greater than the specified purchaseprice. Step 620 includes, based on the second set of time-sensitiveinformation, determining that the alternative product will be availableto be purchased on a third predicted future date in exchange for anamount that is not greater than the specified purchase price. At step622, information describing the product is caused to be presented to theuser together with information describing the alternative product.

Many different arrangements of the various components depicted, as wellas components not shown, are possible without departing from the scopeof the claims below. Embodiments of the present invention have beendescribed with the intent to be illustrative rather than restrictive.Alternative embodiments will become apparent to readers of thisdisclosure after and because of reading it. Alternative means ofimplementing the aforementioned can be completed without departing fromthe scope of the claims below. Certain features and subcombinations areof utility and may be employed without reference to other features andsubcombinations and are contemplated within the scope of the claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method of providinga user with time-sensitive information that is usable to determine whento purchase a given product, the method implemented with a processor andcomputer storage media, the method comprising: referencing historicalproduct information that describes the given product and that is usableto predict the time-sensitive information; based on the historicalproduct information, generating the time-sensitive information, whichincludes one or more of: (1) a projected discontinuation time frame thatdescribes a first predicted future date on which the given product willno longer be available to be purchased; and (2) a projected release timeframe that describes a second predicted future date on which a newproduct that is usable to replace the given product will becomeavailable to be purchased; and causing the time-sensitive information tobe presented to the user in response to a request from the user to sendinformation describing the given product.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the historical product information includes one or more ofprice-modification trends, sale-transaction information, and trendsdescribing changes in product specifications.
 3. The method of claim 2,wherein price-modification trends describe one or more of a decline andan increase in a purchase price that was previously established withrespect to the given product.
 4. The method of claim 2, whereinsale-transaction information describes total sale-transactions completedin which the given product was purchased during one or more previoustime periods.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the totalsale-transactions completed indicates that a market is saturated withthe given product.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the time-sensitiveinformation is generated by applying to the historical productinformation a simple moving average model, an exponential moving averagemodel, a random walk model, a price regression model, or a combinationthereof.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the given product is anonperishable product, which will not become unusable at apre-determined date.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:identifying an alternative product, which is usable as an alternative tothe given product; based on historical product information thatdescribes the alternative product, generating alternative time-sensitiveinformation, which is usable to determine when to purchase thealternative product; and causing the alternative time-sensitiveinformation to be presented to the user in response to the request fromthe user to receive information that describes the given product.
 9. Themethod of claim 8, wherein the alternative time-sensitive informationdescribes a predicted pricing trend of the alternative product.
 10. Acomputer-implemented method of providing a user with time-sensitiveinformation that is usable to determine when to purchase a givenproduct, the method implemented with a processor and computer storagemedia, the method comprising: referencing historical product informationthat describes the given product and that is usable to predict thetime-sensitive information; based on the historical product information,generating the time-sensitive information that describes a price changepredicted to occur on a future date; and causing the time-sensitiveinformation to be presented to the user in response to a request fromthe user to send information describing the given product.
 11. Themethod of claim 10, wherein the historical product information comprisesprice-modification trends, sale-transaction information, modelretirement trends, or a combination thereof.
 12. The method of claim 10,wherein generating the time-sensitive information that describes theprice change comprises applying to the historical product information asimple moving average model, an exponential moving average model, arandom walk model, a price regression model, or a combination thereof.13. The method of claim 10, wherein the given product is a nonperishableproduct, which will not become unusable at a pre-determined date. 14.Computer storage media storing computer-executable instructions thereonthat, when executed, perform a method of providing a user withtime-sensitive information that is usable to determine when to purchasea given product, the method comprising: referencing historical productinformation that describes the given product and that is usable topredict the time-sensitive information; based on the historical productinformation, generating the time-sensitive information, which includesone or more of: (1) a projected discontinuation time frame thatdescribes a first predicted future date on which the given product willno longer be available to be purchased; and (2) a projected release timeframe that describes a second predicted future date on which a newproduct that is usable to replace the given product will becomeavailable to be purchased; and causing the time-sensitive information tobe presented to the user in response to a request from the user to sendinformation describing the given product.
 15. The media of claim 14,wherein the historical product information includes one or more ofprice-modification trends, sale-transaction information, and trendsdescribing changes in product specifications.
 16. The media of claim 14,wherein the time-sensitive information is generated by applying to thehistorical product information a simple moving average model, anexponential moving average model, a random walk model, a priceregression model, or a combination thereof.
 17. The method of claim 14,further comprising: identifying an alternative product, which is usableas an alternative to the given product; based on historical productinformation that describes the alternative product, generatingalternative time-sensitive information, which is usable to determinewhen to purchase the alternative product; and causing the alternativetime-sensitive information to be presented to the user in response tothe request from the user to receive information that describes thegiven product.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the alternativetime-sensitive information describes a predicted pricing trend of thealternative product.